But, I’ve skipped talking about a critical component up until now. It’s at the cornerstone of the Achievement Process – setting a 90 day plan.

The 90 day action plan is a key step in living your best live.

I had given up on goal-setting before this

Can you relate to this?

Somewhere in the mix of career and becoming a mom, I stopped setting goals.

This was about 8 years ago. Looking back, I realize I had achieved a high level of success at work, and I got complacent. I was driven to maintain the status-quo, but not to push the upper limit to the next level.

Part of this might be because I had stayed at my company too long, and should’ve left for a bigger challenge.

But, another huge factor was the baby I left at home every day to go to work or on a business trip. Life was already complicated trying to get through my day at work, and home as quickly as I could to catch up with my first-born and the changes that seemed to be coming so quickly that first year.

I guess my goals were

survival and

maximizing quality family time.

But, I didn’t write those down or do anything intentional to achieve or measure them.

Can you relate, do you have a similar story?

Have you given up on goal-setting?

Do you still set goals, or did that process die off slowly after kids?

If you don’t set goals, why not? Do any of these sound familiar?

Don’t feel like you have time to do anything other than the basic requirements from work and your family. You’re in survival mode. There’s no time for anything “extra”.

Or, maybe you feel like you haven’t truly accomplished a goal in years, so why bother?

Or, maybe you have stopped dreaming? That feeling that anything is possible that you had in your 20’s has faded.

Or, maybe you set goals but they don’t happen. Do any of these sound familiar?

You spend time writing out elaborate goals with action items and deadlines, but after a few days, you lose momentum and return to your normal routine? You set them and forget them.

Or, maybe you start questioning yourself and your abilities and return to your regular routine? Pushing out of the comfort zone is not as easy as it seemed when you wrote out the goals.

Have you tried setting 90 day (or 12 week) goals?

I started using a 90 day action plan approach in the last year and it’s been a huge game changer.

I set goals every 90 days and create a 90 day action plan, by breaking down the plan to make them happen into tasks and habits.

Not too long, not too short

This header might sound weird – “not too long, not too short.” My middle son loves a book by P.D. Eastman called “Big Dog Little Dog.” I can’t get this quote out of my head. “Not too long, not too short.”

Anyway, my point is that 90 days is not too long and not too short.

90 days is not too long. In the past, we were taught to set a goal for the year, or even a long term goal over 3-5 years. While it’s key to have a larger direction and big goals, it’s also important to break it down into a 90 day action plan. If you have a longer-term horizon (more than 90 days), it diminishes the sense of urgency and the sense of accomplishment.

90 days is not too short. Setting quick-hit goals like weekly or monthly is a great practice. But, they need to roll-up to the quarterly goals so that they fold into the bigger picture of what you’re trying to accomplish.

Fits with the rhythm we’re accustomed to at work

90 days is the timeframe most businesses work toward. Businesses typically have an annual revenue target and objectives. Then, they break them down into quarters.

We can do the same thing with our personal goal setting, and it’s a familiar framework for us.

Creating a 90 day action plan for yourself, is similar to the effective habit successful businesses use when they establish a 90 day action plan and hold the business and its employees accountable to that plan.

Tips for making and executing a successful 90 day plan

So, hopefully you can agree that a 90 day action plan is the “right” amount of time to set an actionable set of goals.

The next question is “what are your tips for creating and executing a 90 day plan”?

A plan is only as good as those who see it through. – Unknown

Anyway, here are the tips on making and executing a successful 90 day action plan:

1. Write down your goals

Write down the goals in pain-staking detail.

I like the approach of pretending it’s 90 days from today and writing all the details of how life is now that you’ve achieved the goal. It’s so much more inspiring than the typical SMART goals.

Make sure you schedule out the work that you need to finish in order to make your 90 day deadline.

3. Review them daily

I know, I know, daily might seem like overkill… But, I’m telling you, we’re in a battle with our minds to overcome the status quo. Our minds could easily win and keep us in the same comfy place if we don’t take every opportunity to inspire ourselves.

Quickly glance at your goals nightly as part of your planning process.

4. Schedule the activities required to meet your goals

Identify what action steps you need to accomplish when you’re planning out your day, and then schedule them for a specific time.

Schedule your top 3 priorities into your calendar and make them non-negotiable.

5. Set up accountability

I find that I execute at my highest level when I have a few accountability partners and a coach. I set up the partners and the coach, one for each area I’m working on. And I meet with them weekly. It’s a game-changer to keep up a huge amount of momentum.

6. Use this template. Download this template for your 90 Day Action Plan process. The template will make it a simple process, and you’ll have what you need to refer to on a weekly and daily basis when you’re planning.

Recap

In this post, we covered:

Do you have a 90 day action plan in your achievement toolkit?

My story of giving up on goals

Have you given up on goal setting?

Why set 90 day goals

6 tips for making and executing a successful 90 day action plan

***Don’t forget to download your free 90 Day Planner above and get started for your best next 90 days. ***

Did You Know?

I’m a success coach for working moms. I work with other moms to create and execute the mindset, strategies and routines that are required get out of survival mode and achieve your goals, both personally and professionally.

Think of it as a re-set for ambitious moms who want to maximize what they do, who they are, and all they impact to make the most out of life.

I’ll coach you through building the plan and identifying your next steps. Then, we’ll talk for a few minutes at the end about what I do and if we might be good working together. I’m not a salesperson so don’t expect a sales call. I only accept clients who are a good fit.

This is time focused on you and your goals, and how to get to the next level.

This is a great post. You are so passionate about what you write, and that comes across so well. You also lay everything out so very well, I love how organized you are! Thank you, also, for the reminder to continue to set goals even though life gets busy. This was quite helpful.

Very creative! It’s so true! When I was in corporate America, I used to bring 90 day action plans to my interview! It’s crazy, but being a mom has taught me even more about goals because it’s so easy to lose sight of them when you’re constantly taking care of littles!